Practice Focus

Miriam serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors at McDonald Hopkins and as the chair of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice. She represents and counsels employers on a wide-range of labor and employment law issues. She focuses her practice on counseling employers on day-to-day human resource matters to ensure compliance with complex issues arising from state and federal employment laws, such as the FMLA, ADA, and civil rights statutes. She has extensive experience in the area of wage/hour matters, assisting employers in auditing practices and defending and resolving disputes stemming from the Fair Labor Standards Act and state law requirements. Miriam regularly works with employers to develop effective strategies for implementing difficult employment business decisions related to RIFS, WARN issues, and other employee separations. She also represents employers in collective bargaining negotiations, labor arbitrations, contract administration, union avoidance strategies and training, as well as union recognition, decertification and deauthorization campaigns. Miriam regularly conducts seminars and training for managers and staff on workplace compliance issues.

Miriam is an author of the Employer Advocate, a blog that provides executives, managers, human resources professionals, and labor relations personnel with easy-to-understand, accurate and informative articles on the latest legal developments and how to apply them in the workplace.

Miriam earned her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1987. She received a B.A., with high distinction, from Michigan State University in 1984.

Representative Cases/Matters

Lead two successful U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act investigations for a large healthcare organization in the metro-Detroit area. Investigations resulted in no violations against the employer.

Current representation of a large healthcare organization in the metro-Detroit area in wage and hour class action involving home health companions. The matter is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Represented a multi-national IT consulting company in multiple U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act investigations.

Successfully represented a national insurance company in a U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act investigation. Investigation resulted in no violations against the employer.

Represented a large automotive supplier in a Department of Homeland Security investigation of I-9 compliance resulting in no fines or penalties to employer.

Counseling and planning of numerous reductions in force for employers in a broad range of industries, including accounting, aerospace, automotive, financial, IT, insurance, and healthcare.

Successful resolution of a potential class national origin, gender, and equal pay claim against a multi-national automotive supplier.

Successful resolution of an EEOC class claim based on gender discrimination against a financial services firm.

Successfully represented employers in numerous charges of discrimination before the EEOC and state agencies resulting in dismissal of the charges.